The RI Hospitality Education Foundation (RIHEF), in collaboration with ProStart®, recently hosted the 7th Annual Rhode Island ProStart High School Culinary & Management Competition. Nearly 300 Rhode Island students are enrolled in ProStart, a two-year hospitality career-building program designed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. A culinary team from William M. Davies, Jr. Career & Technical High School from Lincoln won the Culinary Arts portion of the competition; and a management team from East Providence Career & Technical Center in East Providence won the Food Service Management portion of the competition. The winning students will now represent Rhode Island in the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart Invitational competition in Providence on April 27-29.
ProStart Culinary Arts Competition Winners from William M. Davies, Jr. Career & Technical Center: Chef Ray McCue, Johnson & Wales University; Instructor Chef Santos Nieves, William M. Davies, Jr. Career & Technical Center; Students Victoria Carrion, Fabian Vargas, Alexia Guzman and Britney Fernandez; Dale Venturini, President & CEO, RI Hospitality Association; Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello.
ProStart Food Service Management Competition Winners from East Providence Career & Technical Center: Chef Ray McCue, Johnson & Wales University; Instructor Chef William Walker, East Providence Career & Technical Center; Students Shelby Wilkerson, Sidney Robertson, Nayelle Vieira and Luana Rodrigues; Dale Venturini, President & CEO, RI Hospitality Association; Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello.
